Avenging Kaylen
by SilverMouth
Summary: Farris, accompanied by Godson, Fin, is out to not only defend the Throne from the evil Namir and his two children, but avenge his deceased lover, Kaylen.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey! I'm back, this time with a sequel to AtT – BUT WAIT. While this may be a sequel, it's a VERY self explanatory sequel. While you may miss some small details, anybody who wants to read this may certainly do so, though it will spoil the ending for AtT. _

_Anyways, to all my former (and hopeful future) fans, I'm in my third trimester of school and, being in high school, have a strong need to get good grades, so I may not post as much as I did with AtT. This does NOT mean that I will be a bad updater. I hereby solemnly swear that I will never go for more than 1 and ½ weeks without posting a new chapter, unless I give y'all a heads up. _

_I'm really excited to be back writing again and think this may even turn out better than Avenging the Throne did. And I'd like to take this chance to thank Natalie for helping me to create the plot line for this book. She helped me create the perfect book, and I'm really excited to write it because I know where it's going… okay! Time to let you guys read!_

_P.S. My penname changed from Writerofthefaeries to SilverMouth. _

---

"Is she a boy or a girl?" Was the first question of the many which were bombarded towards Farris as he walked through the entrance of his home. They were quickly followed by many more: "What's its name?" "What color eyes does it have?" "How big it?"

"Her name is Ophelia, she is most certainly a girl, she has blue eyes and is quite small but adorable nonetheless," Farris quickly explained. "And your Mum's coming back with her today."

"Ophelia! What a pretty name!" Kayl, as she had been nicknamed, exclaimed loudly.

"I _told _you, Fin," Quinna grinned triumphantly at her brother.

"Can't we at least have one other boy? Somebody to keep me company," Finneaus pouted. Farris bent down and wrapped an arm around the boy's bony shoulder.

"Come now. At least you have siblings," he supplied. "I grew up all alone without a single brother or sister to my name."

"Let me tell you, Farris, having one sibling of any gender is enough! I have to have three now!" Kayl moaned. "Not that I'm not excited about the new baby," she quickly added, glancing at her so called god father. Farris chuckled.

"You'll probably have more to come, too," he teased. "Alright, I'll go let Amelia go so that she can get home and then we'll leave for Ms. Channery's home." An excited tittering broke out amongst the three children as Farris left them to find their grandmotherly neighbor, Amelia, who offered to care for the children during Leala's labor.

"So her name's Ophelia, eh?" Amelia said warmly, standing up and greeting Farris with a friendly hug.

"I take it you heard us talking?" Farris asked.

"I couldn't help but hear Kayl's explanation," Amelia laughed. "Leala's doing well, I hope?"

"Perfectly. The birth went quite well, much better than the last."

"Wonderful. Well, I'd best get out of your hair. You'll probably want to take the children to see Leala and the new babe. Now you remember to send one of the children over went you return home and I'll bring you supper for the night, understand?" Amelia instructed with an almost stern air.

"Yes ma'am," Farris agreed.

"Good boy. I'll see you in a few hours time," Amelia said as she left the room to collect her things.

Farris crossed the room and entered back into the hallway where all but Quinna stood ready to visit their mother at the doctor's home down the lane.

"She can't find her boot," Kayl explained wearily, rolling her eyes.

"As usual," Fin added. Farris laughed, even though the statement was true. Quinna was infamous for always loosing track of things and causing the entire family to be late, be the item boot or coat.

At long last, a frazzled Quinna clambered down the stairs, right shoe on her left foot and left shoe hanging off her right foot at an obscure angle and her coat just barely held in her small hand.

"Sorry," Quinna panted. "I couldn't find my boot. Will daddy be with mommy?"

"Of course," Farris replied. "And if you'd like to see him, you'd better hurry up." Quinna eagerly tugged on her last boot and skipped out the door, Finneaus trotting along behind her. Kayl, ever loyal to her Godfather waited outside the door until Farris securely closed it and began to make his way down the thin dirt path leading to the main road.

Waiting on the main road were the twins, ready and waiting for Farris to escort them the rest of the way. Taking Quinna's outstretched hand; he led the children down the road, listening to their excited babbling. As Ms. Channery's home came into view, the three children looked up at Farris, waiting for his nod before they broke into an unbridled sprint to the cottage.

As Farris finally reached the doctors home, he heard the excited shrieking of his god children. Ms. Channery waited patiently in the doorway for him, her hands folded neatly at her perfectly smooth apron. "I trust the nothing happened while I was away?" he asked.

"No, Mr. Farnborough. She's awake again. She was quite excited to see the children." Ms. Channery told him in the clear, clean cut voice so typical to her. "If you could deliver a bowl of soup to the missus," she requested, pushing the bowel into Farris's waiting hands.

"Thank you Ms. Channery, for all that you've done," he said before starting up the stairs. Ms. Channery's starched face softened for a moment.

"It's my pleasure," she assured Farris.

---

"I don't know why _I _had to walk," Fin complained as she trotted behind Farris.

"Because you pushed Kayl out of the way of the cart. Anyways, he'll be the one who has to run over to Amelia's house," Farris consoled Fin as they walked back from Ms. Channery's home. After a quick explanation of Leala's various medicines and procedures for the next week and a stern lecture to the children on proper treatment of their mother until she has recuperated, Ms. Channery had let Leala leave her home, loaded into a cart along with Jarrett, Fin and baby Ophelia.

"Great trade," Fin said sarcastically. Silence ensued for a moment as the pair trudged down the dirt road. "Farris, when are you going away again?"

"Why? Do you want to get rid of me?" Farris joked.

"Really. A few years ago, you were almost always gone, but now you're spending more time at home,"

"Well I haven't had a reason to leave home for a few months," Farris explained. Finneaus narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"And another thing – Kentil's father is a merchant as well and he's gone constantly. You can't just stop working. Where do you really go?" Fin carefully examined Farris's face, looking for any hint that he was correct in his guess. Farris avoided his god son's gaze, instead quickening his pace.

"Fin, that's farfetched, completely foolish," Farris chuckled nervously. All of a sudden, Fin halted.

"There's something you aren't telling me, and Kayl agrees. I'm not a stupid little boy; I'm fourteen years old. I have the right to know," Finneaus argued. Farris stopped and turned around to face Fin, now a good ten yards away from the boy. He took a deep breath, calming himself.

"Finneaus don't do this to me, please," Farris begged.

"I want to know, I have the _right _to know!" Fin protested, his face scrunching into as scowl. The older man bit his lip, debating.

"Fine. But you can't tell Kayl or Quinna a word of this, got it?" Fin nodded readily, completely prepared to agree to any condition. "You've learned about the royal family in school, correct?"

"A little bit. Only the basics. Are you a secret agent for the palace?" Fin exclaimed excitedly.

"No, not… not quite," Farris gulped. "You've learned about Princess Kaylen, correct?" Fin nodded once more. "Her mysterious disappearance isn't completely a mystery. Sixteen years ago she – she passed through this world and into the next one by way of her true father, Namir.

"To make a long story short, I formed a relationship with her, proposed marriage to Kaylen, even. She wasn't the true child of King Gerard and Queen Darcy, the true daughter was disposed of as an infant and replaced with Kaylen, although no one knew of this at the time save for Kaylen's birth father and his accomplice, Vivara.

"Kaylen was recaptured by her father sixteen years ago and told that it was her duty to dispose of her adoptive parents as to put her biological family back on the throne. The night before she was scheduled to commit the murder, Kaylen just decided that she couldn't do it. Her only option was to kill Namir, and she went for it. But… I suppose he got to her first. By the time I got there, Namir had escaped. It's my job to find him again and finish Kaylen's job off," Farris finally finished, his voice trembling. Fin opened his mouth, and then closed it again. He shook his head and looked on at Farris with an expression resembling awe.

"You're pulling my leg," he finally said. Farris shook his head sadly, squeezing back tears. "So you haven't left because you don't have any leads?" Fin clarified. His god father nodded sadly. Frowning, Fin began to saunter down the road once more.

The pair traveled in complete silence, lost in their thoughts until the house rose up into view, at which point, Fin looked up at Farris. "Next time you do get news, can I come with you?"

"Come with me?" Farris repeated slowly.

"You know, when you leave for – for wherever you go. Can I come?"

"Fin, I can't just take children on missions like this. They're dangerous and I'm sure your mother wouldn't appreciate my promising to let you come with me." Farris's face softened as the younger boy slumped. "Maybe you can come, but I'm not making any promises yet."

---

_Well… what do you guys think so far? Please review, especially to people who read AtT, because I want to know how it compares against Avenging. Thanks for reading!_

_-Catie_

Top of Form


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, the adventure really begins! I'm really really really excited to be back writing again. I've missed Farris so much and am extremely happy to be creating him once more! Just to let y'all know, the main character in this will most likely be Fin. AK is most likely going to be a much better planned affair compared to AtT because I have the plot outlined but not finalized and I know most of the charcters already, even those who haven't yet appeared. I have _many _characters to introduce this book. _

_Thanks to Yabberli, FreakyLongHairedGirl, Simplegrl07, Philipina and Nina (not a username) for reviewing. I hope to see some more reviews next week, but five is pretty good for a first chapter! _

"You can't be serious," Farris's muffled voice filtered through the thin wall separating Finneus's room from the hallway. "You've given me less than ten minutes of notice. The owner of this house gave birth just two days ago and you're expecting me to leave this instant?"

"We have a lead and we can't let it go. If we wait then he may escape us," another man said. Fin lay in his bed, paralyzed, terrified that the slightest ruffle would reveal his being awake. The boy heard the sound of a foot quickly tapping the floor, a nervous habit of Farris's.

"Give me until tomorrow morning," Farris bargained, his voice pleading.

"I already told you, we can't wait that long. He has some means of transportation that is much faster than foot and we don't know where he could appear next."

"Thirty minutes?" Fin's godfather finally negotiated.

"Make it twenty and we have a deal," the voice haggled.

"Fine. Come in while I prepare myself and pack a bit of food. You'll find anything we can take in the cupboard to the left of the door next to the stove."

"Alright. The cart's outside, you can load your provisions into the back," the man instructed. Footsteps fell, finally turning in opposite directions, the heavier set heading in the direction of the kitchen, the lighter set, presumably Farris's, making their way into Leala's room, where Fin heard whisperings too muffled to make out, then making their way into Farris's room in the back.

Finneus didn't move a muscle, listening to his twin's faint breathing on the bunk above him and Quinna's across the room. A moment of hesitation, and the teen finally pushed himself up and off the mattress, wide awake. He snatched a well worn leather knapsack hanging on a hook in the wall and crept across the room, carefully sliding open the closet door. Curtains on the windows shielded the room from light. In fear of waking one of his siblings, Fin neglected to light a candle, instead groping blindly and stuffing scraps of sewn fabric into his pack.

The teen paused at the door, surveying his room one last time. His eyes scanned the room, finally laying to rest on his twin sister, Kayl. Her namesake suddenly struck him. Closing his eyes to hold back the tears, Fin whispered under his breath, "I'll miss you Kayl, but please don't be angry at my departure. I'll make your namesake proud."

Quinna stirred in her sleep, kicking the covers down until they no longer covered her body. Fin closed the door, careful not to let it thump and quickly made his way down the hall, lest he be found out before his escape.

Stepping into the fresh night air, Fin breathed a sigh of relief. The feeling of freedom for the first time in the boy's young life exhilarated him.

The cart which the mysterious voice mentioned was parked crookedly in front of Fin's home, three mules harnessed to the front. In the back of the wagon was a heaping pile of hay.

_Perfect, _Fin thought, jogging towards the cart and throwing himself upon it. The livestock only glanced back at him as the teen scrambled up the cart, burrowing under the hay until he was completely covered and stationed towards the mule end of the cart as to shield him self from discovery.

The pointed ends scratched at Finneus's face, irritating him to no end. Finally, Fin thrust his hand into his sack, grasping at various clothing items inside until he found a shirt, which he pulled over his head, protecting himself from the reeds. The decision was none too soon, for just moments after he resettled himself, the sound of the front door opening reached Fin's ears.

"I have enough to last us for at least a week, maybe more," the unrecognizable voice explained. "That should enough for us to reach headquarters."

"How do you know Namir is headed that way?" Farris asked.

"We don't. I'm hoping we can chase him towards it by mentioning fellows like me and you coming through certain towns he's heading for. Our men will be partaking in that, of course."

"That sounds unstable. Why don't we simply follow him and instruct our men to provide us with necessities?" Fin's Godfather protested. There was the sound of somebody turning angrily.

"Listen, you aren't in charge here. You aren't even _trained _for this kind of work. I know even know why their majesties allowed you on the team, much less my team. This is for the elite, the _elite, _do you understand me?" Fin flinched at the sudden anger, obviously pent up from previous occurrences. "I am in charge here and you will listen – and obey – my commands without objection."

"Dhiren, please. I'm not attempting to overtake your power; I'm but making suggestions which I find helpful to the mission."

"Regardless, next time, you remember not to question my authority," the man – Dhiren – warned.

"Yessir," Farris replied grudgingly.

"Good," Dhiren approved. "Throw these things in the back of the wagon." Farris muttered something under his breath that Fin didn't catch, although the fury in Farris's voice was clear.

After a fair bit of banging and bumping as Farris heaved the luggage into the wagon while Fin lay curled in a tight, stiff ball, praying that he wouldn't be found out.

At long last, the wagon gave a tremendous rock as Farris presumably swung himself into the front. Fin heard the crack of a whip, the cart jerked forward and all at once, Finneus's daring journey had begun.

_Just to clear things up, Jarrett is, sadly, not going to be a big part of the story, which is sad, because I looked forward to writing him. I may integrate him into the book later on, or maybe in the next Avenging novel I write. I'm thinking this will turn out to be a trilogy, but I have so much fun writing all these characters, I don't think I could stand to let them go, so it may end up being longer. _

_For those of y'all who are curious, I'm also going to continue with a Vivara's past (R.I.P. Viv), although I don't like Unfortunate Ends, but I have a better picture of Vivara's past now, so after this, I may take a break from Farris/Namir/Fin/etc. and skip back to Viv. I'm also thinking of another prequel: the takeover of Lilbeth's throne. _

_Thanks to any of y'all who review, and to y'all who don't, you are a bad muffin! foams at mouth Ahem. I must learn to restrain that… _


	3. Chapter 3

_Good gosh I had fun writing this… sorry for not updating very well. We're nearing the end of the year and I'm beginning to focus more on grades…. _

_Thank you to Yabberli to reviewing… COME ON GUYS, I NEED MORE REVIEWS HERE. Ahem. Oh, and for anybody who's wondering, Jarrett is Leala's husband…. Remember my epilogue?_

The journey passed in silence, save for the tense utterance of directions or the sparse attempts to begin companionable conversation by Farris. Each time, Dhiren replied in a terse, angry fashion.

Fin kept himself tightly curled in a ball, desperately trying to find a way in which he could brush away the hay scratching against his face and creating harsh, red sores. Slowly, light began to filter in through the hash of straw, creating a dappled light in Fin's hollow.

"What's the time?" Farris asked after almost an hour of complete silence.

"Read the sun," Dhiren grunted. Farris let out an exasperated sigh.

"I'm not trained to read the sun," he admitted. Dhiren snickered.

"The great Farris isn't as invincible as we thought, then?"

"I never received the amount of instruction you or any of your colleagues did. I received the training of life," Farris defended.

"Ha! But that isn't enough to keep you alive without today's technology and luxuries. Watches, messengers, swords and armor of all sorts – bah! In my time, we learned to live, fight and defend ourselves with nothing but the shirts on our backs. Now though," Dhiren chuckled. "Well, just look at yourself." Fin cringed, practically seeing the corners of Farris's mouth turn down as his face tightened.

"I'm sure a large percentage of your men are at the same level as me," Farris replied, fighting to control his frustration.

"No, no. They received proper training from the royal family, whereas you suddenly appeared, expecting complete trust from every soul who works for their Royal highnesses. Well not me. Suddenly appearing within the ranks of the elite doesn't make you worthy," Dhiren scoffed.

"Dhiren, I – " Farris stopped. "Why don't we stop for the day? Try and find some information on the whereabouts of Namir." He suggested.

"If you desire," Dhiren responded sarcastically, but all the same, at the next exit from the main road, the wagon turned and it wasn't long before the noises of the city reached Fin's ears.

---

"It'll cost you six pence to park your cart," A stocky young boy with carrot orange hair and a grubby face told the pair of men. "To be paid now."

"Four pence, half now, half later," Farris bargained, wary of bogus cart parkers who, the moment the costumer turned his back, would disappear into the hustle and bustle of the city – along with the contraption and all of its contents.

From a small gap in the hay, Fin watched Dhiren step in front of his godfather, taking charge. "Money isn't an object. We only need a secure place to leave our cart."

"Dhiren…" Farris growled. "I need to talk to –"

"Who's in charge here?" Dhiren snarled back, his voice equally as venomous. Shaking his head, Farris quieted.

The boy looked on with a hint of a smile on his face. "Is that eight pence you'll be giving me then, sir?"

"I believe you proposed six," Dhiren responded.

"You must have misheard me, sir. I surely said eight," the boy replied, eyes narrowing.

"Fine," Dhiren agreed, reaching for his coin pouch. Fin observed the young scoundrel eye the purse greedily. "We'll be back by twilight."

As the pair of men turned away, speaking is hushed voices, the boy darted forward, a knife poised in his hand. Cutting Dhiren's purse away with one swift movement, the boy grinned, hefting the weight in his hand. Fin's blood boiled at the sight and he had to restrain himself from leaping from the cart then and there.

The two men disappeared around the corner and Fin carefully slid out of the cart and slunk around the corner where the boy had disappeared. The thief leaned against the wall, absorbed in riffling through his newfound treasure. A moment of preparation and Fin jumped, trapping the boy in a headlock.

"Drop it," Fin growled in the boy's ear, tightening his grip. The boy choked, nails groping frantically at Fin's arm, but the purse still stayed in his tight grip. "I said _drop it,_" Fin ordered again, giving the scoundrel's neck an extra squeeze.

Suddenly pain shot up Fin's arm as the thief bit him hard on the arm. In the short instead that the teen's grip loosened, the boy bolted down the alley, the purse still in his arm. Letting loose a savage roar, Fin sprinted down the alley after his escapee.

As the boy turned a sharp corner, Fin thought all hope was lost, but he didn't give up his chase, instead rounding the corner, where he found the pale boy scrabbling against a wooden fence which stood at the end of the alley.

"I've got you now, you little devil," Fin snarled, slowly advancing towards his prey. The boy began to breathe heavily, eyes wide in terror. Eyes darting back and forth, he finally settled upon a high barrel.

With a tremendous leap, the boy pulled himself onto it, dropping the bag in the process. Breaking into a sprint, Fin ran for the boy, who clambered up the edge of the wall and falling over the edge with a small _huff._ Fin halted just in time not to go careening into the wall. Swearing under his breath, the teen snatched up the purse and trudged down the maze of alley ways until he once again reached the hustle and bustle of the city.

After snitching a few pence from the purse to buy himself a pastry, Finneus settled himself in a nook and waited.

_OKAY. REVIEW. NOW. PLEASE. I BEG OF YOU. I want to surpass the number of hits AND reviews I got for AtT, so y'all should review me! grins widely_


	4. Chapter 4

_I am feeling hella guilty right now for not posting for so long. grins sheepishly in attempts to regain affection As payment, I wrote ya'll an UBER chapter, which I hope you ADORE. Actually, its not very long compared to some people, but now that it's summer and I have NOTHING to do, I'll be writing a lot more. I also think my quality has improved DRASTICALLY. Okay, loves, loves. Read away!_

"It seems to have simply disappeared," Dhiren grumbled as he and Farris rounded the corner.

"I'll tell you once again – it didn't disappear. That boy took it, just as I predicted," a thin mask of phony calm masked Farris's growing exasperation. "You've likely lost it forever."

"That's impossible. You just watch, he'll be right next to the cart and I'll prove him innocent," Dhiren growled dangerously.

"Well then, go ahead and attempt it, but I doubt you'll find him," Farris replied smugly and giving a sarcastic bark of laughter.

"What? That can't be true. Where is the boy?" The superior dodged forward to the cart and threw up a green blanket on the driver's seat, as if expecting to find him there.

From a small alcove in the building next to the cart, Fin gathered all the courage he could muster and prayed Farris wouldn't return him to his mother and father. A cry of rage exploded from Dhiren. "Where _is _he? I must find him, I simply must – damnit!" Taking a final calming breath, Fin took a forced step from the niche.

"I doubt you'll find him here," the teen advised. "But I do have the purse." Fin hefted the sack in one hand. "I couldn't turn the boy in, but I returned your possessions."

"Fin!" Farris exclaimed, shock spreading across his tired face. Dhiren's eyes narrowed.

"Hand it over," the older man ordered, his voice tinged with acid. Holding back a sarcastic remark, Fin passed the purse to Dhiren, who weighed it in his hand. "What did you take?"

"Dhiren, stop," Farris ordered, pushing in front of his senior counterpart. "He wouldn't take a thing. What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I borrowed a few pence to buy myself a bite to eat. But I swear, it wasn't any large sum of money, I swear it," the teen promised.

"Of course," Dhiren snorted. "Do you think I'm soft in the head?" Fin frowned.

"Sir, I chased the boy down in order to return this to you. If I wanted to keep the money, I would have simply told you the scoundrel got away with it," the boy explained cautiously.

"The amount of money is no object; it's the principle of the matter. I won't have a thief in my midst," Dhiren turned to Farris. "You know the boy, I presume?"

"The boy, henceforth known as Fin, is my godson."

"Are you able to explain to me what he's doing here?"

"I have no sure answer, but I can guess. He likely – "Farris began.

"Would you care to explain?"

Farris took a sharp, aggravated breath inward. "I was just about to begin, which you would have discovered if you had taken the time to wait."

"I'll remember that next time," Dhiren interrupted again, dumping out the contents of his coin sack onto the cart and beginning to separate it into small piles depending on value of coin. Holding back a sharp comment, Farris resumed his deduction.

"Fin likely awoke on the night of my departure and snuck into the unattended cart. He has probably been traveling in the back since the beginning, and when the boy cut the purse from your belt, he accepted his responsibility and ran after the thief.

"Is this an accurate assumption, Fin?" Farris asked.

"Almost a perfect representation."

"And do your parents know of this excursion?" Fin shuffled his feet guiltily.

"I left a note…" Farris raised his eyebrows disapprovingly, but all the same the laugh lines at the corners of his eyes crinkled.

"I wouldn't have expected anything more. We'll have to send a messenger back home, explaining your absence. I'm sure Leala is worried."

A short, sarcastic laugh caused the pair to start. "You can't be serious, Farris," Dhiren said, his tone condescending.

"Is something troubling you?" Farris asked, his voice tight.

"This adolescent – child – of yours is not going to be accompanying us on this mission. It's an affair for adults and adults only."

"Fin is quite capable for a boy of his age. I'm sure that he will not only be harmless, but quite possibly even benefit our undertaking." The teen stepped forward towards Dhiren, straightening his back and puffing his chest.

"If you give me the chance, I'm sure that I can prove myself worthy to your cause,"

"Ha!" Dhiren scoffed. "I doubt you even know what our cause is – do you?" His eyes flashed to Farris.

"I decided he had come of age," Farris explained. "Fin deserved to know. It's part of his past."

"I thought we agreed that the information was confidential," Dhiren glared at Fin.

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now."

"We can send him home," Dhiren suggested.

"Do you expect me simply to load him into the cart of a stranger to take back home?"

"If there's no other solution, then I suppose that is what I expect of you," Dhiren shot back. Fin, perceiving the upcoming decision by the obviously superior Dhiren, stepped between the two men.

He turned to Dhiren. "Sir, I would expect that my decision to follow the scoundrel who stole your purse would prove my worth. If it weren't for me, you would be without funding for the continuation of your journey." The older man sniffed haughtily.

"Being in service to the royal family, I would easily request more funding from the palace. It would have been no trouble."

"You are being entirely unreasonable!" Farris cried. "Fin has proven his willingness to assist us. He could save your life and you wouldn't be grateful enough to allow him to accompany us. He's coming and that's final. Come along, Fin. We're in need of some more supplies. We'll be back in an hour's time."

---

"Is there a reason Dhiren is so hostile towards you, Farris?" Fin asked as they wandered down the busy streets of the bazaar, avoiding the people mulling about them.

Farris paused at a stall selling various weapons of picked up a bundle of arrows. "How much does this cost?"

"Thirty-four coranders," the pudgy man behind the counter replied, leering at his customers. Grimacing, Farris promptly dropped the arrows back onto the table and turned back to Fin.

"Bloody steep prices," he muttered. "What did you say?"

"Dhiren seems awfully bitter. I've never met somebody so resentful towards you," Fin observed.

"I have my guesses, the primary one being jealousy."

"Jealousy? His position is obviously senior to yours – it is, isn't it?" Fin asked.

"No, no. You see, most men employed by the palace for more personal affairs – such as the one at hand – must go through years of training and service for the army before they arrive at their positions.

"On the contrary, I didn't get an ounce of training and never wanted to live as I do now, but I ended up this way all the same, in respect for Kaylen," Fin noted an expression of remorse pass over his Godfather's face.

"Finally, Dhiren isn't accustomed to working with those of lower ranks who are entirely familiar with the case at hand, much less more so than him. When we report back to his superior, I'm often forced to explain the background, sometimes the outcome of our explorations as I know each and every inner entanglement of the case. I don't think Dhiren sees that I'm not out to usurp him." Farris sighed.

"Over the years, my frustration has been growing and I'm beginning to overrule his power as a result of my frustration. I can't possibly get thrown off the case because their majesties owe a great debt to me, but Dhiren is completely susceptible, a fact of which he is quite aware."

"Ah. Wouldn't it be unwise to force him to bring me along, then?" Fin asked.

"In a sense, it is quite foolish, but having somebody of your age on the case will be extremely beneficial to our progress. Unlike us, you'll be seen as innocent and will likely be able to slip into places where we would be considered suspicious. But, like me, you received no training whatsoever, and Dhiren will most likely resent you for that."

Fin nodded. "I understand. Hopefully, I'll be able to get on his good side. Ah, look at that stall over there. All merchandise on sale."

"Good eye, Fin. I'm sure the talent will come in handy during this expedition," Farris said, clapping him on the back. Fin leaned into him, glad to finally share something special with his Godfather.

_Was that up to your standards? I sure hope so… please review, because reviews are fun! Thanks,_

_Catie_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you to Ashlynn Lilacflower and Yabberli for reviewing! Also thank you to all y'all who read this, but trust me, I favour a review over a hit! It doesn't have to be descriptive, just a simple, yay, good! Or, if you think this is truly that bad, an insult. :P Okay, I'm done being a review whore. _

_I think that the characters are really taking shape at this point. I'm getting better at all the stuff Natalie (Yabberli) suggested for me to do. Thanks for reading!_

"This is considerably better than riding under the hay," Fin commented, fetching a laugh from Farris, who reached over and ruffled his Godson's hair.

"I'd expect so, my boy," Farris replied with a laugh. Dhiren glanced over at the pair.

"This is no time for laughs. We didn't discover a single lead in the city," he grumbled. Both Farris and Fin glanced over at Dhiren, but didn't pursue an argument. Clearly upset and looking for a reason to fight, the senior returned to glowering.

With a familiar companion, Farris' mood lightened considerably. He spent from the beginning of their ride to their stop, soon after dusk, sharing slightly exaggerated tales with Fin. Not even Dhiren's frequent, disgusted glances could dampen his mood.

As the cart slowed to a stop, Dhiren spoke his first whole sentence since the beginning of the ride. "Get out and begin unloading the cart," he instructed to Farris and Fin. "We'll be sleeping here for the night. While you're doing that, I'll procure firewood. In the unlikely event that somebody ventures into the camp, tell them that we're merchants – Fin and Farris are cousins and I am your uncle. Fin, your name is Keeran to anyone who asks; Farris will go by Dougal," Dhiren grinned as if sharing a joke with someone. Fin noted a grimace on his Godfather's face. "I will be Naresh. Prepare the camp as well as you are able," Dhiren ordered, and began walking in the other direction.

"What are you doing, then?" Farris called after him.

Not bothering to turn, Dhiren bellowed back, "Firewood!" Fin waited a moment as Dhiren disappeared into the sea of trees, noting with curiosity that the older man had passed by a large pile of firewood and hadn't even spared it a glance.

"Are we sure Dhiren is trustworthy?" Fin asked his Godfather. Farris paused from his work and drew a long breath inwards, then gave a little laugh.

"Of course, we have no reason not to," he said, confidently placing his hands on his hips. Yet all Fin still detected a hint of doubt in Farris's voice.

"He didn't stop at the firewood he passed, though the stock was certainly large."

"I'm sure he had his reasons," Farris protested.

"And something he said while providing us with alias's upset you," Fin added.

"More a disrepute towards us than suspicious behavior. The names – well, I'm not sure of the meaning of mine, but Keeran means 'little dark one,' while Naresh means King," Farris explained. The teen bristled.

"How dare he imply that I'm in the league of the enemy!" Fin cried. "And him, King? How is he the leader of the expedition any more than you?"

"Actually, he does happen to be in charge," Farris muttered.

"Well, the bastard doesn't deserve it," Fin grumbled.

"Fin…" Farris shot his godson a warning glance. The teen rolled his eyes but nodded in submission all the same.

---

By the time Dhiren returned to camp, it had been set up and twice checked over. Farris and Fin were seated by an empty firepit chatting contentedly. Two makeshit tents had been set up twenty or so feet away from the firepit, and the horses – both fed and watered – were tied to stakes hammered into the ground. A rope with a sack tied to its end has been thrown over a high tree limb, enabling them to store good away from dangerous creatures lurking in the forest later that evening.

"I see you made an attempt to set up camp," Dhiren greeted them.

Fin bristled. "I think you mean we succeeded in setting up camp," he shot back. "And I see you didn't fare so well in your task." The teen nodded at Dhiren's empty arms. "Where's our firewood, then?"

"Being senior, I have no obligation to tell you this, but will if it satiates you. I had other, more important obligations to attend to."

"And what might those be?" Fin asked suspiciously.

"Top secret information," Dhiren sniffed, smirking at the younger boy.

"Scared to tell us, are you?" Fin taunted.

"Fin!" Farris said sharply, laying a family hand on his godson's shoulder. "Now, Dhiren, what do you find inadequate about the camp?"

"Well, for one thing, there's no fire," Dhiren sneered.

"That is a doing of your own. We expected you to secure firewood, but as you were unable, we have no fire," Farris defended himself.

"Next time, be more prepared," Dhiren ordered. "Finneaus – firewood, now." Glaring, fin jolted up from his seat and stalked into the woods.

It wasn't long before he lost sight of his companions, probably Dhiren's intention. Fin has a strong suspicion that the older man had sent Farris to procure firewood not only because they were in need of the supply but also to give himself and Farris time to talk. Although Finneaus hated being in the dark, he figured that dawdling at the edges of the forest would prevent Dhiren from speaking with Farris which would benefit neither Fin nor his godfather.

Determined to prove his worth to Dhiren, Fin began to amble about the woods, feeling each individual piece of wood and gauging its damp before adding it to his pile.

He had been fathering wood for a good fifteen minutes before the odd sensation of somebody watching him because to creep up the boy's spine, sending shivers through his body and causing small goose bumps to rise upon his muscled arms. As he wandered through the trees, Fin whipped around every few minutes, expecting to see a dark figure with a weapon of some type, perhaps a knife, clutched in a leather-gloved hand with a twisted leer plastered on his face. Each time, Fin's eyes landed only on a smattering of trees, browning leaves drooping from their tired limbs.

Just as Fin made the decision to head back to camp with his load of wood, the now familiar tingle crept up his spine once more and he had to repress the urge to throw down his wood sprint back to Farris and Dhiren screaming at the top of his lungs.

Moments after the teen began to relax, the sound of a snapping stick reached his ears and Fin froze, body completely rigid posture similar to that of a wary fawn. Ears perked, he listened for further noises. Then, quick as a whip, he twisted round and scanned the area for life. As he looked to his right, Fin's peripheral vision caught a wisp of gray hair. Whipping his head to the left, he also caught the tail end up a skirt whipping behind a tree trunk, followed by a small, feminine "oh!" as it caught on a shrub.

Knowing his duty, Fin dropped his wood and broke into a sprint, almost falling as he slid around the tree trunk and skid to a stop. The teen examined the space in front of him, looking for any sign of his curious – and possibly dangerous – visitor.

Oddly, she – Fin was fairly sure that the person was female, judging by the cry of dismay – seemed to have simply disappeared. Pursing his lips in frustration, Fin turned to walk back to his abandoned firewood, but not before bending down to snatch up a scrap of rough brown fabric which caught his eye.

It seemed to be the fabric from the dress which he had spied only moments before. Stuffing the cloth into his pocket to show Farris and Dhiren, Fin stood back up and returned to gather his wood.

Arriving back in camp a few minutes later, Fin found Farris and Dhiren in a thick, angry cloud of silence, his godfather sharpening a knife and Dhiren adding ingredients to a large pot.

"You return, at long last," Dhiren observed, harshly chopping a freshly peeled potato in half.

"You'll be happy I was out so long. I found something of interest," Fin said excitedly and ignoring Dhiren's negativity. The older man looked on skeptically, but the teen didn't notice, as he was looking at Farris for approval, which he readily gave.

"And what would this be? Something useful to the case?"

"Somebody – an old woman, I'm pretty sure – was watching me. I turned around many times because I thought I heard somebody, and I saw her running behind a tree the last time. I sprinted after the woman but couldn't catch her. Instead, I found where her skirt ripped on a bush," Fin explained, pulling out the scrap of fabric and handing it to Farris. Dhiren had already begun to build a fire with the wood Fin dropped at his feet.

"Interesting," Farris said with enthusiasm.

"Give it here," Dhiren ordered, reaching across the now merrily crackling fire and snatching the fabric from Farris. He examined it closely. "This doesn't look like much. You could have found it anywhere. You're probably just imagining things," he scoffed. Fin opened his mouth to defend himself, but Dhiren had already thrown the fabric into the fire.

"Hey! That could have been evidence!" Fin cried desperately.

"Pah. A child's excuse for evidence, that's all," Dhiren replied, returning to his cooking. Fin's face reddened in both anger and embarrassment.

"I'm going to the tent for some rest," he mumbled, shuffling away towards one of the makeshift homes and barely paying attention to Farris's explosion towards Dhiren about crushing dreams.

_Oooooh a cliffie! Who is the mystery woman? I know and you don't! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (can y'all tell that I had coffee ice cream?) Okay, Calm down, Cate. Thanks for reading, and I would love it if you took the time to review!_


End file.
